Developing effective client relationships requires that you understand some basic principles about human interactions. Whenever a relationship is created between two parties, particularly in those relationships where one party is seeking help or advice from the other, each person assumes a role, either as the expert or as the subordinate, based on whether one is the person providing assistance or the person being assisted. This is a very important concept to understand, because the assumption of these roles has a direct impact on the behavior of each party and determines how you interact with your corrective exercise clients.

How Roles Affect Behavior

People who assume the role of subordinates (i.e., clients) will do what an expert tells them to do, generally without question. You may have noticed this when observing a personal trainer or fitness professional working with a client. For example, you may have seen a trainer’s clients lift weights that are too heavy for them or perform exercises that are unsafe or beyond their abilities because the trainer instructed them to do so. This happens because the clients believe it is not their place to question the expert. They are only following instructions in order to avoid disappointing the expert and do not feel responsible for their actions or the outcome. While you may wish to have your own clients follow your instructions without question, this kind of relationship means that if anything goes wrong, the clients will blame you. They will think you (as the expert) should have known better.

While you are a specialist in the area of musculoskeletal assessment and corrective exercise, immediately assuming the role of expert will reinforce clients’ perception that you (and you alone) are responsible for fixing their problems. This will hamper your ability to help your clients to learn and to gain self-confidence, because they are now relying on you to take control of every aspect of their program.

When clients assume subordinate roles, they behave in distinctive ways. For example, they may not speak up when they do not like certain program elements, become disinterested when you explain things in technical terms, blame you when things are not working out as expected, and ultimately drop out of their programs. In short, if clients view you as the expert with all the answers, your ability to encourage them to participate, learn, build confidence in themselves, and adhere to their programs is greatly diminished.

Develop a Teamwork Approach

Learn to incorporate communication strategies that encourage clients to participate in problem-solving and program design. This will shape client expectations and behaviors in a beneficial way by helping them to feel responsible for the success of their program. This strategy will increase their adherence and motivation to the program ensuring that they reach their pain-reduction and movement goals.

The word “exercise” has widely been considered “the regular and repeated use of the body (or certain parts of the body) to produce physical exertion”. The idea being that physical exertion will develop or maintain a healthy body. Generally speaking, exercises that require more physical effort are thought to be preferable to those that don’t result in great quantities of sweat. However, this concept is fast becoming obsolete and the future of exercise is here.

Correct Biomechanics

Exercise is no longer just about being able to perform a certain number of repetitions of a particular exercise or the ability to run for miles on end. It is the ability to accomplish those tasks with as little effort as possible and in accordance with the way the body is ultimately designed to move (i.e., correct biomechanics).

We are perfectly built to be able to perform almost any movement with little or no adverse stress to the bones, ligaments, tendons, muscles and fascia. However, it is a fact of life that the cumulative effect of our lifestyles, activities, and hobbies create muscle and movement imbalances in the body which ultimately affect our biomechanics leading to pain and limitations when we exercise.

The Future of Exercise

To ensure exercise is beneficial for all the parts of the body, inside and out, exercise is now defined as; “performing or practicing a task in order to develop or improve a specific capability or skill”. This new paradigm is becoming increasingly popular in the health and fitness industry and precisely why corrective exercise is fast becoming a staple part of any effective workout program. Corrective exercises are intentionally designed to help improve the condition of the musculoskeletal system and prepare the body to perform daily activities and vigorous exercises with correct biomechanics and without discomfort or restrictions. This shift in thinking, and the fitness professionals that are helping set this trend, represent perfectly the future of the exercise industry.

The BioMechanics Method creator (Justin Price) recently authored a special report for IDEA Health and Fitness Association (IDEA) on the risks of functional training. The report is full of useful information to help safeguard you and your clients from injury and improve performance when engaged in functional training activities.

In the report:

Learn about functional training biomechanics

Gain skills in identifying musculoskeletal imbalances that might put you and your clients at risk during functional training

Discover corrective exercises to lessen the chance for injury during functional training

Find out how to improve your functional training performance

Understanding the biomechanics of functional training and how to assess and correct any muscle and movement dysfunction will help you enjoy high intensity functional training for years to come.

Disclaimer: This report is copyrighted by IDEA Health and Fitness Association.

Sitting, standing and sleeping in poor postural positions affects the function of the musculoskeletal system and can lead to aches and pains. Here are some quick and easy posture tips from The Biomechanics Method to help lesson the negative effects of sitting, standing and sleeping incorrectly.

Sitting Posture Tips

Get out of your chair several times a day to help extend (i.e,, straighten up) the hips, legs and spine.

Change your workspace to a standing desk or walk when possible instead of driving.

Change chairs and sitting positions often or alternate sitting on a gym ball with your office chair.

Standing Posture Tips

Be aware of habits like shifting your weight from side to side when standing (i.e., propping your weight on one leg/hip).

Make good footwear choices. (i.e., don’t stand around in high heels or tight fitting shoes).

Change bad habits like crossing the arms, talking on the cell phone, carrying a heavy bag on one shoulder, or putting hands in your pockets (these habits can all create problematic shifts in body position and posture).

Sleeping Posture Tips

Sleep on your back on a bed that is firm enough so that your back doesn’t sink into the mattress.

If your lower back feels uncomfortable lying on your back place a wedge or pillow(s) under your knees. (This will help keep the lower back and pelvis nearer its optimal position.)

Choose a pillow thickness that puts your eyes in a position that is perpendicular to the ceiling (but ensure that the pillow thickness is not so great that it pushes your head too far forward).

If you choose to sleep on your side, place a pillow between your knees to help keep your leg in line with your hip socket. Also, the pillow you use for your head should be thick enough to keep your head in line with your spine when lying on your side.

Remember: As you incorporate these posture tips be sure to make any changes gradually to give your body time to adapt to these new habits.

Want to learn how to develop more referrals as a Corrective Exercise Specialist? Read on.

Family doctors consistently refer their patients to specialists. Their field of expertise helps the referring doctor feel confident they are sending their patient to the right place/person for help (i.e., cardiologist for heart problems, neurologist for nerve issues, etc.). However, when it comes to chronic muscle and joint pain, it is challenging and often confusing for doctors to make the right referral.

When a client’s condition is acute in nature (i.e., the result of an injury) an appropriate referral can be made to either a physical therapist or surgeon (in cases where a bone has been broken or the skeleton damaged in some way). However, the majority of people experience ongoing or chronic muscle and joint pain as a result of musculoskeletal imbalances (i.e., postural and movement difficulties). In these instances doctors often take a generalized approach to their patient’s care suggesting that they hire a personal trainer, find a yoga instructor, seek out a Pilates instructor, try acupuncture, or get a massage.

Corrective Exercise Specialists Fill A Gap in Care

Since almost 90% of people will experience musculoskeletal pain at some time in their lives, a huge gap in care exists for specialists explicitly trained in understanding and alleviating the underlying causes of muscle and joint pain. This booming specialty niche lies is in the field of corrective exercise. A Corrective Exercise Specialistis knowledgeable in human anatomy and the musculoskeletal system, skilled in assessing both the skeleton and soft tissue structures and can select/design appropriate corrective exercises to address a client’s imbalances. They can also make appropriate referrals to licensed medical professionals when a client’s condition(s) lies beyond their scope of practice.

As a fitness professional, you are likely regularly approached by clients for assistance with musculoskeletal issues. As such, obtaining your corrective exercise qualification from a reputable source, and applying those skills to meet the needs of clients with ongoing muscle and joint pain, is your first step to building a thriving business as a specialist in corrective exercise. The next step is marketing and networking your skills to appropriate medical professionals. By communicating with doctors/licensed health professionals about clients/patients you share and their corrective exercise needs, they will begin to trust and appreciate your specialty skills. They will also finally feel confident they have found a specific professional they can refer to who is experienced in treating chronic muscle and joint pain.

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